The Killers
Hot Fuss


2.0
poor

Review

by crandynewman USER (38 Reviews)
February 3rd, 2012 | 53 replies


Release Date: 2004 | Tracklist

Review Summary: Brandon Flower's phony accent can't save them from this over-polished turd of an album.

If there's one thing I've never understood, it's new-wave. I mean I get it's purpose; it was made in the 80s to dance to, basically. But why the need for a comeback? I can appreciate the Killer's love for the music even if I don't especially appreciate it, but why Brandon Flowers needed to inject his interesting garage punk with it I'll never figure out the answer. The songs here for the most part aren't that bad if you strip away all the awful synth, they're certainly passable. Like Jenny Was a Friend of Mine has the funkiest bassline of all time that would give even Flea a run for his money. But the whole album has a synthy background that I can't ignore, it's like when a fly flies right into your ear and you have to spend twenty minutes trying to get it out.

Now to be fair all the instruments are played well and Brandon is quite the talented singer vocally. But his accent and lyrics annoy me to no end; he's not even British so why pretend like he is? Its the same reason Keith Urban gets on my nerves, you're from Australia, not rural Tennessee! And Flowers, you're from Vegas, not London Calling, so act like it. Lyrically he's not much better. What is Mr. Brightside supposed to mean anyway? I get that he's a guy covered in pessimism that's trying to see the bright side of things, but what is "swimming through sick lullabies and choking on your alibis" supposed to mean? He just picked two words that rhyme; pretty lazy if you ask me, Flowers.

There are a couple highlights though, the choir in All These Things I've Done is hilarious and very well-done, so props on that one. It adds a much needed levity to the dark electro-pop punky sound of the rest of the album. Smile Like You Mean It has some pretty great lyrics but is ruined by an annoying synth line, and for Somebody Told Me, the opposite is true: the music is great, but the lyrics are confusing as all hell. I don't know what's even going on in the chorus, the lyrics are a mess. Overall, it's a pretty decent album, but nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to, and only listen to it if you can look past annoying synth droning and bad English accents.



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user ratings (2652)
3.7
great
other reviews of this album
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Comments:Add a Comment 
crandynewman
February 3rd 2012


799 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0

i think i improved on this one, i took about twice as much time to write it as the others

Yuli
Emeritus
February 3rd 2012


10767 Comments


Why don't you stop posting a fuck-ton of reviews in one single day, because I would just love it if people were actually able to see mine for maybe a fleeting instant at least

crandynewman
February 3rd 2012


799 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0

sorry omaha



you're one of my favorite users i didnt mean to upset yuo

thatoneguy726
February 3rd 2012


1669 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Yeah... Reviews are supposed to be carefully thought out and revised like an essay. Not a quick couple paragraphs of your opinion you spend ten minutes on and submit.

crandynewman
February 3rd 2012


799 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0

i spent like an hour on this one



granted i didnt really revise it but i definitely said what i wanted to say

thatoneguy726
February 3rd 2012


1669 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

You're an alt, aren't you?

Parallels
February 3rd 2012


10146 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

One review a day dude, and take your time on them for god's sake.

crandynewman
February 3rd 2012


799 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0

jesus christ everybody keeps assuming that



and thanks sonicspeed, any constructive criticism for me?

KeithStone582
February 3rd 2012


1524 Comments


Don't you have anything better to do Crandy?

crandynewman
February 3rd 2012


799 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0

excuse me for trying to improve my writing skills, ass



ive got to start somewhere if im going to make staff one day

KeithStone582
February 3rd 2012


1524 Comments


Must be REALLY bored.

crandynewman
February 3rd 2012


799 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0

i dont need your negativity



either contructive criticism or gtfu

Parallels
February 3rd 2012


10146 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Well, your reviews are supposed to cause people to accept your opinion right? Even if they wholeheartedly want to disagree. So be cautious about how you word things. Your first sentence instantly works against you:



"If there's one thing I've never understood, it's new-wave."



You say you don't understand the genre, well the people reading this most likely will be interested in hearing from someone who knows what he is talking about. Make your opinions sound like facts. Instead you should say something like, "It's baffling how The Killers have gotten away with injecting the new-wave genre into garage punk."



Plus you have two 'appreciates' in the same sentence.



Also, you say:



"It's like when a fly flies right into your ear and you have to spend twenty minutes trying to get it out."



I'm sure many of us seriously have never had to deal with that, and frankly it sounds rather lame to put in a music review. A lot of us have come up with some bad analogies though, and I can't say that I haven't had a few bad ones either. It just takes time to come up with them. I've found that reading other critics reviews (including Sputnikmusic Staff reviews, Roger Ebert movie reviews, Amazon book reviews) will give you wonderful ideas. Just don't plagiarize them, be clever.

crandynewman
February 3rd 2012


799 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0

oh, thanks for your costructive criticisms sonicspeed, i do appreciate it and will take them into consideration for further reviews

pizzamachine
February 3rd 2012


27140 Comments


"Overall, it's a pretty decent album"

So more like a 2.5 or 3 right?

tommygun
February 3rd 2012


27108 Comments


Pos'd hard please keep reviewing

Yuli
Emeritus
February 3rd 2012


10767 Comments


"sorry omaha

you're one of my favorite users i didnt mean to upset yuo"

...
*blushes*

Trebor.
Emeritus
February 3rd 2012


59844 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

My mom used to listen to this shit all the time

crandynewman
February 3rd 2012


799 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0

thanks tommygun :]



sorry andcas, name an album you dont like and ill do that one

crandynewman
February 3rd 2012


799 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0

i'll do tbs's self titled



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